Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a film set this week that killed a cinematographer and injured a director.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement that “Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor.”
They were filming the Western Rust when the incident occurred on Thursday. Deputies were dispatched to the film’s set when a 911 caller reported the shooting.
Production has of course been halted on the film, which Baldwin was producing and starring in. He plays the titular infamous outlaw, who goes on the run with his grandson in 1880s Kansas after the teenager is sentenced to hang for the accidental murder of a local rancher.
Comments were sought from the actor but none have been forthcoming from his representatives yet. He was reportedly seen outside the sheriff’s office in tears on Thursday.
Halyna Hutchins was a 2015 graduate from the American Film Institute. She’d worked on several short films before working on the 2020 film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello. American Cinematographer named her a ‘rising star’ in 2019.
“We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called ‘Rust’ in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set,” said a statement from representatives of the International Cinematographers Guild.
“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”
This is a developing story as the investigation remains open and active. No charges have yet been filed for the incident, the Sheriff’s office confirmed.
